Getting Krsna to smile- just once upon you

April 24, 2012 in Articles, Damaghosa Dasa by Damaghosa dasa

741112SB.BOM                    Lectures                   

So similarly, Krsna also becomes very… Krsna and Kapiladeva, no difference.  So Krsna also becomes very beautiful. He’s already beautiful. But when a  devotee serves Him, a devotee comes to Him, He also becomes very beautiful. A devotee, when with his heart and soul, serves Krsna in dressing Him, in feeding Him, in giving Him flower, He becomes smiling. And if you can  get Krsna, once smiling upon you, your life is fulfilled.     Thank you very much. (end)

 

How to solve all ones economic problems-SP

April 23, 2012 in Articles, Damaghosa Dasa by Damaghosa dasa

Hare Krsna
Pranams to all
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
Below are some excerpts from various conversations wherein Srila Prabhupada explains
very nicely how anyone can live easily without much anxiety  in this world, grow his or her
own food for his family, and have more than ample time for spiritual life.
This lifestyle is contrasted with modern city living where one has to work  most of the day, drive for hours back and forth to work, be in total anxiety all  the while, and in the end get ulcers, headaches, or some
other serious disease for your reward for all this work.
Krsna does not want His part and parcels to suffer like this. He gives us  the recommendations
for how to live in this or any age.
Every once in a while I get some negative feedback where a devotee will say  to me-so I am in ignorance if I dont grow my own food? How can I possibly live  in the country if I have so many obligations here in the city?
Who is going to afford this place?
All these questions are answered below by Srila Prabhupada.
One who thinks a little soberly about these things will ask  himself-what does it mean to live simply with high thinking? Isnt this  supposed to be the motto of all Hare Krsna devotees? If so, then why do the  majority of them not do it? Do we just read these words from our Acarya and  think they are meant for someone else?
They will say-I am not a farmer, I am an engineer, or a Doctor, or a  technologist, or whatever. I have so many responsibilities in this city. How can  I possibly leave all this? And furthermore, why should I ? I can hear them  all now.
One point Prabhupada is trying to make in all these talks is this- we, as  spirit souls really dont belong here, and the work we do to sustain  ourselves for the most part does not further the betterment of human society  towards the goal of liberation. Present day society is a nuts and bolts  conglomeration of humanity which produces unfit humans for any kind of  progressive path towards ultimate liberation of the soul from the material  tabernacle. Nobody knows the actual goal of human life, except for the devotees  of the Lord. And what do the devotees do as work which practices what we  preach? We work right along side of the karmis whom we will criticize in our SB  classes.
And yet we have all the answers to all the problems. Prabhupada many times  has said, that any question you may encounter in preaching about Krsna  Consciousness can be answered from Bhagavad Gita.
OK, do we accept that?
Yes?
Then what does Krsna tell us about how  to solve all our economic  problems? Annad bhavanti bhutani
750524BG.FIJ                    Lectures                      Nowadays they are facing a scarcity of food. The solution is there in the  Bhagavad-gita. Krsna says, annad bhavanti bhutani: “Bhutani, all living  entities, both animal and man, they can live very nicely without any  anxiety provided they have got sufficient food grains.” Now what  is your objection to this? This is the solution. Krsna says, annad bhavanti  bhutani. So it is not utopian; it is practical. You must have  sufficient food grain to feed the human being and the animal, and everything  will be peaceful immediately. Because people, if one become hungry, he is  disturbed. So give him food first of all. That is Krsna’s injunction. Is  that very impossible, impractical? No. You grow food more and distribute.  So much land is there, but we are not growing food. We are growing or  busy in manufacturing tools and motor tires. Then now eat motor  tires. But Krsna says that “You grow anna.” Then there is no  question of scarcity. Annad bhavanti bhutani
———————
So to sum up what you will read  below–
Srila Prabhupada  tells us  —
….how to make the transition from city to  rural life.
….tells us    that everybody should grow  food
…shows us how important and sacred are  grains
…self preservation is the first law of nature  and the fear of not having food, or being unable to afford it for daily  sustenance is eliminated by growing owns own
…having owns own food source means you become  independent of the karmis rat race
..growing owns own food is “our  mission”
…how to start this? he  started his movement under a tree!
..everyone should live on farms, not just  householders
..Indian farmers are clever-they move to city,  get a job and send
most of the money back to the family, Then when  they have enough money-quit their
job, buy land and start to grow their own  food and become independent !!
…and  more….
Hare Krsna
Damaghosa das
—————————-
1)  740418mw.bom                 Conversations
Prabhupada: (Sanskrit) From our childhood, if there was a rice  grain on the floor, my father, er, my mother would ask me, “Take it  and touch it on your head.” Dr. Patel: We were advised not to tread on the  grains. (break) Prabhupada: Because by chance, if the grain is struck with  the leg, she asked, “Take it and you touch it on the head.” Dr. Patel:  That is the culture. That is real culture. Prabhupada: Means from the  very beginning he understands anna-brahma. Dr. Patel: Even it is not  spoken, you practice it. Prabhupada: Yes, practice it. According to Vedic  culture, the higher class, in every home there is narayana-sila for worship,  especially of the brahmanas.

Removing the steel from our hearts by chanting Hare Krsna-SP

April 17, 2012 in Articles, Damaghosa Dasa by Damaghosa dasa

 

 

720622SB.LA Lectures

Prabhupada: So here is one word, “steel-framed.” Nowadays, the medical

science is changing the heart, steel-framed. So this modern science is

making steel-framed hearts, but we can understand that formerly, also,

there were steel-framed hearts. Otherwise how this word comes? Tad

asma-saram hrdayam batedam. So just like stone or steel does not melt

very easily, similarly, anyone’s heart which does not change after

chanting Hare Krsna mantra regularly, then it is to be understood that

it is steel-framed, made of stone or iron. Actually, harinama… Harer

nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam. It is especially meant for

cleansing the heart. That every… All misconception is within our

heart, beginning from the wrong identification, that “I am this body.”

That is the beginning of all misconception. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu

says, ceto-darpana-marjanam. So as you go on chanting, gradually the

heart will be cleansed, and you’ll be able to understand that you are

not this body.

… So this verse suggests that if a person is chanting Hare Krsna

mantra, but his eyes are not tearful or there is no ecstatic shivering

of the body, then that means he’s not coming to the perfectional

point.

So if we chant this Hare Krsna mantra without offense, according

to, and observing the regulative principles and numerical strength …

Sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih. The Gosvamis, in Vrndavana, they

used to chant keeping in numerical strength. They were all liberated

persons; still, for teaching us an example, they also used to chant

keeping a numerical strength. Haridasa Thakura, he used to chant Hare

Krsna mantra keeping a numerical strength–300,000 times. 300,000

times. So our prescription is only 25,000. Not 100,000. So it is not

very difficult; it takes utmost 2 hours. We can find out, out of 24

hours, 2 hours. We can find out time. So if we actually follow the

rules and regulations and chant Hare Krsna mantra, then these symptoms

will come. Netre jalam gatra-ruhesu harsah. When this comes then you

know that “I am coming to perfection.” And if it is not coming, then

it is to be understood the heart is steel-framed. Steel-framed. So it

is steel only. Stone. Stone, if we keep our heart stone or

steel-framed, then it cannot be melted. This… These symptoms mean

heart is melting or changing…

…disturbance. So such things are happening. Now anyone is manufacturing

his own way of self realization, and there are rascals who are

supporting, that “Everyone, we are independent. We can find out our

own way of worship.” But Rupa Gosvami says, “This is simply creating

disturbance.” That is very natural to understand. Suppose here, in our

temple, we have got some regulative principles. But if everyone says

that “I can manufacture my own way of worshiping the Deity,” then what

will be the condition?

It will be simply pandemonium. You see? So that is going on.

…(not)authorized by the disciplic succession. We reject immediately. There

is example that in India there is a tree, sagu, sagu(?) tree. I do not

know whether it is in your country. That, that tree has a very, I mean

to say, thick trunk. But a little jerking, it will break. A little

jerking. Sagu. And there is another tree which is called tamarind

tree. So even a fingerlike stem, you cannot break. It is so strong. So

our policy should be that when we are falling down, we must take

shelter of this tamarind tree, not that sagu tree. The tamarind tree

is Vedic instruction, infallible, without any mistake. As I have given

you several times the example that Vedas says that stool of animal is

impure, and in another place it says that stool of cow is pure….

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Today I desire….

April 2, 2012 in Articles, Kanhaiya Dasa by Nityananda Rama dasa

 

Today I desire

 

(Dedicated To My Beloved Spiritual Father Srila Prabhupada)

 

Today I desire to live in Vrindavan, where there is The Lotus Dust of my beloved Lord Shri Krishna,

Today I desire to smear myself with that Dust, with which the most sinful become purified as the milky ocean…

Today I desire to chant and glorify the names of Shri Radha and Krishna, and want to know nothing else more than this…

Today I desire to become mad with ecstasy, when I chant their names…

Today I desire to be in the mad people, who have even forgotten their own names and only remember Madhava’s ..

If being mad is the criteria, I desire to be mad, knowing no obligations, nothing else but remember Keshva’s names…

How long do I need to pretend to be one of these materialistic people, who only want to satisfy their own senses…

Today I desire to forget my own senses forever and satisfy the senses of my most dear Friend Krishna…

Today I desire to abandon everything, today I desire to give up all the opulences I have,

Today I desire to even give up my remaining breaths, if they don’t recite the names of Krishna…

The world has taken the shelter of that Madhusudan, and I am left here alone tied up my unnecessary worldly desires…

Today I desire to break up all unnecessary relations and reestablish my forgotten relationship with my Friend…

Tell me where can I find Him… I am looking everywhere, having no sign of Him –

but when I am in the association of His pure devotees, who simply want nothing else but to hear/chant His names..

I find Him – I find HIM right in the center – enjoying the ecstasies that His devotees relish…

Today I desire to sing His glories out loud – as loud as I can so the everyone can hear and revive their lost relationship with that Govardhan lifter….

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Springtime–a time for hope

March 30, 2012 in Articles, Damaghosa Dasa by Damaghosa dasa

Hare Krsna to all
Pranams
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
For those of you who read that dire report sent yesterday from the  Indian writer about the degraded conditions present now in India, this  report will cheer you up !
Most people can understand and see that the governments of the world are  corrupt and getting worse as we speak. But most people don’t see any  solution to these complex problems thinking, “what can I do?”
(that answer at the end of this report)
Fortunate for those who are fortunate and listen to the perfect words of  advice given by the Lords pure representatives, such as Srila Prabhupada His  Senapati Bhakta, for those of us who do listen to his instructions, we will get  the material and spiritual benefits-right now in this lifetime and the  next one for sure.
I was reading over some past articles this morning and saw two that caught  my eye because it totally related to the one sent yesterday. Doom and gloom  yesterday and today- how to solve it. There is only one sure way to  solve material problems. We have to go to the only One who can alleviate  these problems which we create.
Isvara parama Krsna-that supreme controller, Lord Brahma says is Krsna,  Govinda, Shyamasundara, our only real friend in times of need. So please  consider these words of advice from Srila Prabhupada and the photos I have  included at the end are one major way we can solve these problems.  Practical, simple and a lot of fun doing it.
Hare Krsna
Damaghosa das
————————– Read the rest of this entry →

Prabhupada on importance of SB and reading SB

March 28, 2012 in Articles, Damaghosa Dasa by Damaghosa dasa

Hare Krsna to all
Pranams
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
For those of you who receive these nectar emails-they will be seen  as poison if
one has little or no taste for hearing the words received from  the Lord’s pure devotee.
But for one who has gotten a little mercy, these words from the lotus
mouth of a pure devotee are pure nectar for they relieve the burning  of the heart.
See below what Prabhupada says about Srila Vyasadeva and how he got  chastised by
his guru Narada Muni for writing so many “nonsense books”-called the Vedas  !!
Hare Krsna
Damaghosa das
————————–
720413SB.MEL                    Lectures
 That is advised by Narada Muni to his disciple Vyasadeva: “What you are  writing, all these nonsense books? You…” What is called? Jugupsitam.  Jugupsitam. He instructed Vyasadeva that “Whatever literatures you  have produced…” Means up to that time he produced Vedanta-sutra. He wrote  up to Vedanta-sutra, which is considered to be the topmost philosophical  thesis in the world, Vedanta-sutra, all over the world, the Vedanta  philosophy. So he finished that Vedanta-sutra. Still, he was not happy. And  his spiritual master Narada chastised him, “What nonsense books you have  written?” First of all he was not happy, so Narada came, and he  asked him that “Why you are not happy? You know everything, but why you are  not happy?” So he submitted, “Yes, my master, I know everything, and I think  I have done everything, writing all these books. But still, I am not  happy. So why I am not happy, that you can tell because you are my  master.”    So, “Yes, I can tell you.” And then he said that “You have labored so much for writing all these nonsense books, but  you have not said anything of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore  you are unhappy. Therefore I advise you that now you write one book which  is simply the transaction of the Supreme Personality, nothing  else, nothing of this material world, sacrificing, this religious,  and this unreligious, ‘this is good, this is bad,’ nothing of the sort. Simply write about the pastimes of the Supreme Lord. Then you will  be happy.” Then he wrote Srimad-Bhagavatam. And when he wrote,  began writing Srimad-Bhagavatam, he writes in the beginning,  dharmah projjhita-kaitavo ‘tra: “All these cheating type of religious  system, I kick it out, this ism, that ism. I kick out all them.It is this book, especially meant for paramo nirmatsaranam satam,  those who are simply paramahamsas. It is meant for them. It is not for the  ordinary men. I have kicked out all the  so-called religious system, dharma artha kama.” People are very much Nowadays  they are not even for dharma or artha. They are simply kama, sense  gratification. Sense gratification because every one of us, we come  here for sense gratification.

Srila Prabhupada’s SB classes-summary file–VOLUME 5 P: IV

March 26, 2012 in Articles, Damaghosa Dasa by Damaghosa dasa

Hare Krsna to All

Pranams

All glories to Srila  Prabhupada

 

Below you will find the final  part of Vol 5, SB class nectar summary.

 

Some points summarized-

 

*If you love Krsna you can love  all humanity

*A naughty child now means  very intelligent later

*A photo of Krsna is same as  Krsna Himself

*Too lusty to serve Krsna? then  serve Indra

*Dont put salt in the  caranamrta

*Money given in charity comes  back in this way..

*How to defeat the Sun

*Real education means  Independence

*General mass of people are  animals-why? dog is best friend

*Ravana built a subway from S  America to Lanka

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The Story of the Syamantaka Jewel

March 24, 2012 in Articles, Narasimha Dasa by Nityananda Rama dasa

(A Summary Study)

This story from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Tenth Canto, which Srila Prabhupada presents in two chapters in Krsna Book, is very interesting and instructive. (Krsna Book, Chapters 55 and 56.) What follows is a brief summary and explanation from these chapters of Krsna Book, including some of my own comments. (Direct quotes from Srila Prabhupada are in bold.)

The Sun God gave the Syamantaka jewel to King Satrajit, the father of Princess Satyabhama, who later became Lord Krishna’s third wife due to the influence of this jewel. This jewel was so powerful that it produced 170 pounds of gold daily. Although Krishna advised Satrajit to deliver the jewel to Him so He could give the jewel to King Urgasena, the emperor of the Yadu Dynasty, Satrajit did not comply with this request. Instead he installed the jewel in a private temple to be worshipped by brahmins he employed. Although Satrajit was a devotee and later came to his senses, he was bewildered by the material opulence and prestige this jewel provided him and his family.

One day Satrajit’s brother, Prasena, took the jewel and wore it around his neck to show off the wealth of his family. At one point, while riding his horse through a forest, he was attacked by a huge lion that killed him and his horse. When Jambuvan, the gorilla king, heard about this event he immediately went to the scene, killed the lion with his bare hands and took the jewel, which he gave to his son for a toy. Because Jambavan was a liberated pure devotee, he was not much attracted to the material opulence of this jewel.

Later on, when Prasena did not return with the jewel, Satrajit was very upset. He guessed that Krishna had killed Prasena and taken the jewel because Satrajit had previously denied Lord Krishna’s request to deliver the jewel to Him. What started out as a mere speculation on the part of one mentally-disturbed man, Srila Prabhupada explains, turned into a rumor that was spread like wildfire.”

This story illustrates that even Krishna is sometimes defamed by false rumors originating from mentally disturbed or materially attached devotees. All this happened in Dvaraka Dhama, even before the advent of the internet. In this day and age, any foolish person can spread malicious rumors about devotees via the internet, and by repeating such rumors over and over again, foolish offenders try to establish facts without solid proof, and thus become candidates for severe misfortune.

Krishna did not like be defamed in this way, therefore He decided that He would go to the forest and find the Syamantaka jewel, taking with Him some of the inhabitants of Dvaraka. Along with important men of Dvaraka, Krishna, went to search out Prasena, the brother of Satrajit, and He found him dead, killed by the lion.”

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Why it’s important to meet regularly with devotees for kirtan

March 21, 2012 in Articles, Damaghosa Dasa by Damaghosa dasa

Hare Krsna to all
Obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
I was reading over some past articles I have sent out the past two  years from one notebook I have at my
prasadam table and below is what came from it today.
Here are 4 very good reasons (from Prabhupadas books) why the sincere  and intelligent devotees meet regularly for  sadhu sanga, arotik,  kirtan, class, discussion and prasadam. We may say we know and understand the  “philosophy” of Krsna Consciousness, but if we do not apply it regularly, then  it is exactly like not knowing it at all. It remains theory only and the  material and spiritual benefits of the chanting will not be  forthcoming.
Hari bol
Damaghosa das
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1)  690619SB.NV                     Lectures
 Maya  is already there, side by side, Krsna and maya. Just like this light. This  side is light; this side is darkness. Take this example. This light, the  one side is very bright; another side is dark. So this darkness and this  light is always side by side. Similarly, Krsna and maya…  So as soon as you become little slack in Krsna  consciousness, immediately maya is ready to capture you.  Maya is always going side by side. As Krsna is all-pervading, the maya is  also all-pervading. As soon as there is lack of Krsna consciousness, there is  immediately maya.

No Contradictions

March 20, 2012 in Articles, Mahesh Raja by Nityananda Rama dasa

In Buddhimanta das prabhu’s article:
he is confused by apparent contradictions he points out:
“I have always understood that the two Pandava twins, Nakula and Sahadeva were conceived in the womb of Madri, wife of Maharaj Pandu, from the Asvini-Kumara twins as a result of her using the mantra(s) given to Kunti devi from Durvasa Muni, and that King Pandu could not impregnate either of his wives due to a curse he received while hunting (see translation to Srimad Bhagavatam 9.22.27-28 is below).
However, I read this morning in Srimad Bhagavatam 1.13.3-4 what seems like a contradiction to this. In the purport, Srila Prabhupada clearly indicates that Nakula and Sahadeva were fathered by King Pandu in the womb of Madri. There is no mention of the Asvini- Kumara twins. Could anyone please shed some light on this seemingly differing account by Srila Prabhupada on the subject of the impregnating of Madri?
Following are the references, the seemingly contradictory statements are in bold italics. “
Srimad Bhagavatam 1.13.3-4 Purport:
“Mahārāja Pāṇḍu later wanted to retire from family life and adopt the renounced order of life. Kuntī refused to allow her husband to adopt such life, but at last Mahārāja Pāṇḍu gave her permission to become a mother of sons by calling some other suitable personalities. Kuntī did not accept this proposal at first, but when vivid examples were set by Pāṇḍu she agreed. Thus by dint of the mantra awarded by Durvāsā Muni she called for Dharmarāja, and thus Yudhiṣṭhira was born. She called for the demigod Vāyu (air), and thus Bhīma was born. She called for Indra, the King of heaven, and thus Arjuna was born. The other two sons, namely Nakula and Sahadeva, were begotten by Pāṇḍu himself in the womb of Mādrī. Later on, Mahārāja Pāṇḍu died at an early age, for which Kuntī was so aggrieved that she fainted. Two co-wives, namely Kuntī and Mādrī, decided that Kuntī should live for the maintenance of the five minor children, the Pāṇḍavas, and Mādrī should accept the satī rituals by meeting voluntary death along with her husband. This agreement was endorsed by great sages like Śataśṛṅga and others present on the occasion.”
Srimad Bhagavatam 9.22.27-28, Translation:
“Pāṇḍu was restrained from sexual life because of having been cursed by a sage, and therefore his three sons Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma and Arjuna were begotten through the womb of his wife, Kuntī, by Dharmarāja, by the demigod controlling the wind, and by the demigod controlling the rain. ṇḍu’s second wife, Mādrī, gave birth to Nakula and Sahadeva, who were begotten by the two Aśvinī-kumāras. The five brothers, headed by Yudhiṣṭhira, begot five sons through the womb of Draupadī. These five sons were your uncles.”